Table for Two (and then some): August 2011

Recently, B and I have had some fantastic meals out around the city and at the shore. First stop, Avalon for dinner at the Diving Horse. B and I have been wanting to try it out since last summer, so finally, a few weeks ago, we took the trip with his brother AJB and his girlfriend J5. The decor is amazing - very Anthropologie meets Pottery Barn.

[the rustic wine cooler]

For starters I had the watermelon salad, and B had the chicken special.

The watermelon, tomato, feta, and mint worked perfectly together - the one thing I could have done without was the cured olives, they were a little overpowering. While my salad was cool and refreshing, B's chicken appetizer was on another level. The chicken had been roasted, pulled apart, and then fashioned into a chicken "cake" over a dressed salad and topped with a crispy farm egg. It doesn't sound like much but it was truly fantastic.

Between our starters and the main course, the chef sent out a fish amuse-bouche.

The foam had a nice orange zest and the wrapper on which the fish was sitting had a nice clean taste but the fish itself was a little tough and fishy.

For dinner, I had softshell crabs and B had the NY "Butcher's Wife" steak with "Boardwalk Fries" on the side.

The softshells, lightly fried and served over grilled romaine and Caesar dressing, were wonderful. They are not on the regular menu, but were being offered as part of a "surf and turf" special with filet and the chef was nice enough to let me order them on their own.

When B's steak first came out, it was unfortunately well done (he ordered medium rare). On the plus side, when he sent it back they were extremely accommodating and had another steak (cooked perfectly) out in just a few minutes. It was juicy and perfectly seasoned, and the Boardwalk Fries were addicting.

Since we know the owner, the chef was kind enough to send us one of all four of the desserts to try.

I was really excited for the berry shortcake, but, unfortunately, it was way too tart. We didn't care for it at all.

The banana split, served with chocolate, cherry, and honey vanilla ice cream and topped with toasted walnuts, butterscotch, and brandy cherry, was a fantastic twist on an old classic. B is still talking about it.

The "kit-kat" - chocolate ganache layered with crispy peanut butter and served over raspberry sauce - was my favorite. It had a surprising hint of sea salt which paired perfectly with the chocolate.

Finally, the key lime panna cotta served with toasted coconut was great. The dish had a nice combination of textures, and, as someone who usually can't stand key lime, I really enjoyed it.

We left Avalon stuffed, happy, and extremely impressed.

Next stop, Long Beach Island. First we had a great dinner at Daddy-O's. Owned by the same people as the Plantation, the atmosphere is a bit more "trendy" (presumably catering toward the New York weekenders) and the food is better at nearly the same price point. I started with the ginger-soy tuna and spicy salmon tartar.

In addition to sesame crisps, it was served with a side of kimchi cucumber that I found far too spicy for a starter. The cucumber aside, I the dish itself had a great flavor with just the right touch of spice.

B started with the chopped salad.

Comprised of iceberg lettuce, avocado, bacon, tomato, blue cheese, and chipotle-ranch dressing, the chopped salad was simple and tasty.

For dinner I had the crab cake with a side of fries (it was a special that evening and actually came with two cakes so my mother-in-law and I split).

Covered with a touch of remoulade and served atop a bed of cole slaw, the crab cake was wonderful (much better than the crab cake at the Plantation). B ordered the cheeseburger off the bar menu.

Served with bacon, tomato, lettuce, and cheddar cheese on a toasted bun, it was a nice, straightforward take on the classic.

All-in-all it turned out to be one of the best dinners we've had on Long Beach Island this season.

The morning following dinner at Daddy-O's, B and I had brunch at Wally Mitchell's Luncheonette. An LBI staple, I find Wally's 1970's interior quite charming (although B noted it looks like a scene out of Jaws - not exactly the perfect vibe for a shore restaurant). B chose the creamed chipped beef and a side of scrambled eggs, and I had the pancake special - sweet potato pancakes with pecans - and a side of sausage.

The creamed chipped beef was artery-clogging good.

Although the sausage patties were terrible, the pancakes were fantastic with a subtle hint of cinnamon that worked perfectly with the pecans and maple syrup.

Last stop, Philadelphia for dinner at Zahav. The name "Zahav" means gold in Hebrew and is apparently intended as a reference to Jerusalem. The decor is consistent with the reference and the food is "modern Israeli." After noshing on some homemade pickles and pickled baby eggplant, B and I selected the salatim plate and the "foul" hummus (made with fava beans) to start

The salatim plate is essentially a serving of eight different "salads" ranging from pickled carrots to roasted eggplant. The beet salad is by far my favorite. I like to use the naan bread that comes with the hummus to scoop up the salad bites.

The hummus was creamy and similarly delicious.

For dinner we had the fried cauliflower and the fried sweet breads.

The fried cauliflower has a fantastic salty-yet-sweet taste and is paired with a wonderful sauce made of labneh (a middle eastern yogurt type cheese), chive, oil, mint, and garlic.

Rich and coated in a fantastic cornmeal breading, the sweet breads tasted like the best fried chicken you'll ever have. They were served with a delicious jersey corn salad. Yum.

Although this summer has not been marked with "light" fare - it has certainly made for some memorable meals.

I'm not a particularly great singer, and I wouldn't say I have any great ear for musical prowess, but for some reason I just really like karaoke, both performing or watching. There is something equally thrilling about watching someone totally bomb as there is about watching someone rock the house. Although its not necessarily as fun to yourself bomb in public, I recently discovered a place in University City known as Sang Kee Noodle House where you can get good food and unite the best and worst of singers in a private karaoke room without (much) judgment.

For our firm's last summer clerk event, the Women's Network at the firm sponsored dinner and fun at Sang Kee. For $25.00 a person for food, plus a $10.00 per bottle corkage fee (Sang Kee is byob), we enjoyed wonton soup, an appetizer of dumplings and spring rolls, and multiple plates of delicious asian-inspired shrimp, chicken, beef, and rice entrees as well as a fantastic peking duck dish. After sufficiently stuffing ourselves we moved to a private room that holds 15-20 for karaoke. The song selections are expansive, covering foreign and American artists alike, and conveniently broken down by female artists, male artists, duets, and groups.

We traded the microphone for about 2 hours, singing everything from NSync to Labelle to Jay Z, with Jackson 5's ABC as our grand finale.

[at dinner before karaoke]

[Jay Z and Alicia Keys - "New York"]

[good times]

While I found Sang Kee to be fantastic because it removes the potential public embarrassment of the traditional karaoke bar, if you prefer more of the "real deal" I can recommend McGillin's on Wednesday or Friday nights (but beware - the regulars are no joke!).